In advance of Tuesday night’s Planning and Zoning Commission meeting when there could be a vote on the Canaan Parish application to replace 60 units of public housing with 100 units of public and affordable housing, Scott Hobbs explained that the reasons for the urgent timing and larger than normal buildings are all related to the Town’s desire to control the expansion of affordable housing under its own terms and not be subject to an outside developer who could use a state law to build that housing here outside of New Canaan’s control.

The site in question is at the corner of Lakeview Avenue and New Norwalk Road / Rt. 123.

In an interview with the Advertiser project Co-Chairman Hobbs said that he believes the Canaan Parish project fits the profile for earning state funding support, and there is state funding available in December. In order to qualify for that round of funding, however, Canaan Parish must have not only a zoning concept approved by the Town showing that no variances will be required, but it must also show construction drawings 40% complete. That requires architects start working now, Hobbs said.

Timing for moratoria

Getting local zoning approvals now, in August with possible final conditions in September, would provide a comfortable amount of time for the project to start construction in 2019, allow for delays which are not uncommon when working with the government, Hobbs said from experience, and finish the 60 units in Phase 1 by the spring of 2020. The goal is to complete Phase 1 before the current moratorium from the state 8-30g law expires in 2021.

Completing Phase 1 would earn a second 8-30g moratorium and preclude the possibility of a developer coming in with an affordable housing project outside of Town control from 2021 to 2025.

If the project is not approved by P&Z in time to make the December funding round there is no assurance that state funds will be available at the next expected opportunity in June 2019, according to Hobbs. New state government leadership will be in place.

Gambling

If money is available in June 2019 to help fund New Canaan affordable housing, Hobbs said that the later timing removes the comfort zone for construction, and with any possible delays it would increase the chance that the current moratorium from 8-30g expires before a second one is in place.

“If you miss by a minute there could be consequences,” Hobbs said.

Potential consequences could result, Hobbs said, if a developer were waiting in the wings and ready to deliver an application to P&Z that includes affordable housing. Pine Street is a site some developers have reportedly been looking at. If the Town does not have a second moratorium in place when the first one expires, state law allows for developers to go around local zonings regulations to build affordable housing according to their economic needs and certain safety and health requirements. This is the State of Connecticut’s way of increasing the diversity of housing in towns where there is not a great diversity — either the Towns build affordable housing themselves or the state allows developers to do so outside of local laws.

Considering the high cost of land and relatively low revenue derived from such projects, developers often need to make the projects large to make it economically viable.

Moratorium 3

Completion of the Canaan Parish second phase of 40 units would get the Town within about 20 units of earning a third moratorium from 8-30g, according to Hobbs and the team behind the application. A third moratorium would protect the Town from developers circumnavigating local rules from 2025 to 2029.

Density to prevent density?

This is one of the most recent designs for a redeveloped Canaan Parish released to the public. Further revisions to the design are expected at the P&Z meeting Aug. 28.

Having the completed 100-unit project get the Town to within 20 units of a third moratorium addresses the underlying need for speed and gets to a second set of concerns, which is the density; the relatively large size of the proposed buildings — 60 apartments in one building and 40 apartments in another. Hobbs has said publicly from the beginning of the application process that there is a desire to maximize the number of units on the property because more units earn more moratoria, and land for development of affordable housing in New Canaan is very scarce.

A concern voiced by at least a couple of citizens, including Selectman Kit Devereaux, is that Canaan Parish is proposing greater density than is currently permitted in order to prevent greater density by an outside developer than is currently permitted. To that Hobbs agreed, but he added that amount of density that moratoria keep out is greater than the amount of density being proposed.

Design

The buildings being proposed are both four stories in height, and one of them would be above a level of parking, making it, in effect, five stories high.

Reducing total units is not something the Canaan Parish board wants to do because of the desire for earning moratoria. Lowering the building height and spreading out the buildings on the property is not something they want to do, because that is more expensive, and that makes economic self-sustainability harder to achieve, Hobbs said. Moreover, lower spread-out buildings remove some of the open recreation space that is appealing to residents.

Possible revisions

Hobbs said that his designers are studying to see what the effects would be of using peaked roofs and three-and-a-half stories instead of four. There may be some alternative designs on hand for Tuesday night’s meeting. For those who yearn for a more New England / colonial design with peaked roofs, etc. Hobbs said there really is no New England design over three stories.

As an aside, Hobbs said that if the Town ever wants to accomplish its separate goal of allowing moderately priced senior-living apartments, it will need to allow four-story buildings in more places in town. Premium apartments that command higher rents can be viable for a developer at two or three stories, Hobbs said, but not moderately priced apartments.

Four stories were approved at Merritt Village, which is now under construction on Park Street.